Confectioneey oe the like



(No Model.) a sheets sheet 1.

"L. B. LEHMANN.

MAGHINBFOR comma GONFEGTIONERY OR THE LIKE.

No. 592,568. PatentdOct. 26, 1897.

hyenian (No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. B. LEHMANN. MACHINE FOR COATING CONFEGTIONERY 0R THE-LIKE.

No. 592,568. a Patented Oct. 26,1897.

(No Model.) i a sheets-sheet a. L. B. LEHMA NN. MACHINE FOR COATING GONFB'GTIONERY OR THE LIKE.

Patented Oct. 26,1897.

NlTED STATE 1 PATENT rion.

LOUIS BERNI'IARD LEHMANN, OF DRESDEN, GERMANY;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,568, dated October 26, 1897. Application filed March 2, 1897. Serial No. 625,770. (NomodeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS BERNHARD LEH- MANN, a subject of the King of Saxony, residing at Dresden, in Saxony, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for Coating Confectionery or the Like, of which the following is a specification.

In the following specification is described a machine which has for its object the coating or covering of confectionery (more particularly pralines )with chocolate or other coating by dipping it into said coating material. Except as regards feeding in the confectionery the machine acts automatically in such manner that the sweets are immersed face downward and then delivered in an upright position. By such working a product is obtained which, as regards cleanliness and good appearance,is equal to that produced by hand.

A characteristic feature of the invention consists in a rotating continuous carrier carrying grate-like supports which receive the sweets and step by step bring the said supports to the place where they are supplied with sweets and then over a tank which can be raised and which is filled with the material for coating the sweets. By raising said tank up to the supports while they remain at rest the sweets are immersed and coated, and, finally, by means of guides arranged in the same direction as the supports, brought to an upright position and deposited on their bottom surfaces.

A construction of the machine having a continuous carrier will be described first.

Figure 1 is an elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section; Fig. 3, a plan of apiece of a support adapted to receive conical sweets, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of machine. Fig. 5 is a front view looking from the left-hand side of Fig. 4.

ratchet-wheel d on the shaft cl, which is rotated by the pawl (1 step by step from the shaft 6, by means of a crank f, connectingrod f, and arm f Each step in this movement corresponds to the distance between two supports 011 endless band A, which are, according to Figs. 2 and 3, in the formof a grate. On endless bands A A are secured the ends of a series of bent arms 9 g, the other (inner) ends being connected together in pairs by cross pieces 9 g and the latter carrying rings g g in which the sweets 0c 00 are placed in series with their points downward. These supports, however, are described only by way of example, and will of course be modified according to the shapeof the sweets to be treated and to the arrangement or form of the supports.

On the shaft 6 are mounted within the frame sides cams h h, on the peripheries of which rest vertically-guided rods '5 t'. These rods support, by means of a cross-beam a", the tank J, which is filled with the coating material of desired consistency with which the sweets are to be covered. The tank is of such width that the inner sides of the bent arms g g, together with the supports, are immersed when the tank is raised.

A bell-crank lever 7t, carrying a hammerhead K, swings on each side of the frame about a pivot k, the end of the longer arm of each rod resting against the periphery of the disks k 71: ,which are partly toothed, as in ratchet-wheels, and are keyed outside the frame on the shaft e. The hammers accordingly repeatedly give-during the time that the ratchet-teeth act on the levers k k-quick light blows on the bands A A, whereby the superfluous covering mass is caused to drop off from the sweets which have been immersed.

Concentrically with the pulleys ct C6 are arranged on the right-hand side (where the sweets move downward) guides Z Z, which are connected to one another so as to form a grating, thus affording a guide for the bottom surfaces of the sweets and preventing them from falling out while traveling around the pulley. Thereby the sweets traveling around the pulleys a a are turned, so that although they are dipped point downward they are deposited after having passed between the pulleys to CL and guides Z Z on their bases, when they fall out from their supports, as shown at at, Fig. 1.

On the band M is directed a blast from a.

blower O, the shaft 0 of which is rotated at a high rate of speed from the driving-shaft P. The shaft 6 is slowly rotated from the shaft P by means of two toothed wheels 19 p.

The sweets are placed in position at G in the support G, points downward. The next step or movement of bands A A brings the support into the position G2 above the tank J. During the time that bands A A are at rest the tank is raised by the eccentric h h and rods 2 t and the sweets become immersed. Then the tank J again descends and during the time that the support passes into the pd: 'sition G during a part-of the movement of bandsA A, the superfluous mass is shaken off. Then the sweets are guided downward against the guides Z Z and deposited on hands M,which convey them step by step to the left, In consequence of the continuous supply of fresh air by the ventilator the drying of the sweets takes place in a rapid manner. The emptied support finally arrives into the original position G, where it is again filled. As

. there are preferably several supports G, sev

eral series of sweets may be treated, so that at each step or movement of bands A A a new series is introduced, one series being immersed and one deposited on the carrier-band.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 4, and 5the traveling carrier is constituted by two disks Q on large annular hubs g, which are arranged inside the framing. The toothed wheels q g on disks Q Q engage with toothed wheels 7" r, mounted on the shaft r, having a hand-crank r A single support is employed which is formed in the same man. her as the support hereinbefore described, the bent arms g 9 being, of course, secured to the circumferences of the wheels Q Q. Between the hubs is supported a shaft s, having pinions s s, one-half of each of which is provided with teeth, said shaft 5 being adapted to be rotated by the hand-crank s independently of shaft 1'. During one-half of the revolution the tank for the covering mass (here also marked J) is raised by the toothed portions of pinions s s engaging with and raising the verticallyguided toothed racks t 6, said tank again descending as soon as toothless halves of pinions s 8' come oppqsite tn the tooth-racks. During the second half of the revolution the shaking on] of the superfiuous material from the Sweets by shaking device takes place, said device being similar to the one before described, the disks in? k in this form being mounted on the shaft c. There is also here a guide-surface formed by rods or guides l l, which is arranged round the side of disks Q Q, and guides the sweets on the endless band M. The movement of the band M by rollers m m, by means of the crank n, connecting rods n n N, and ratchetwheel, has no new features compared with the first-described construction. T is a supplytable. The position of the support when the sweets are introduced into it coincides in this construction. with the dipping position. If disks Q Q are brought into this position, the shaft 1" is left stationary and shaft sis turned by means of the handle s ,whereupo'n the tank J rises and sinks, thereby causing the immersion and immediately afterward the shaking off of superfluous coating material to take place. Then the shaft sis left stationary and the support is caused to move downward along rods or guides Z Z by turning the shaft r by the handle 7 It is evident that many details may be varied in the two constructions hereinbefore described without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim 1. In a machine for coating confectionery, and the like, with chocolate or other material, the combination with the carrier, the supports for the confectionery mounted on said carrier, a tank containing the coating material, means for operating the carrier to bring the confectionery-supports intermittently over the tank and means for raising the tank to immerse the confectionery; substantially as described.

2. In a machine for coating confectionery and the like with chocolateor other material, the combination with the endless bands, the pulleys upon which the bands are carried, means for intermittently operating said pulleys, the frame for holding the confectionery carried by said bands, the tank containing the coating material, means for elevating the tank to immerse the confectionery,and guides for holding the confectionery; substantially as described.

3. In a machine for coating confectionery and the like, the combination with the endless bands, the pulleys arranged in pairs, over which the bands are carried, means for intermittently operating the pulleys, frames carried by the bands, for receiving the confectionery, points down, a tank over which the frames are carried, means for intermittently raising the tank as the frames are brought over it, whereby the confectionery will be immersed, guides for holding the confectionery in the frames as they pass around the pulley, and a receiver for catching the confectionery as it drops from the frame; sub

stantially as described.

4. In a machine for coating confectionery and the like, the combination with the endless bands or carriers, the confectioneryframes mounted thereon,the immersing-tank, means for raising the tank for immersing the confectionery, and shaking devices for removing superfluous material from the confectionery; substantially as described.

5. In a machine for coating confectionery and the like, the combination with the endless bands, the pulleys over which the bands are carried, the geanwheel on the pulleyshaft, a second gear-wheel meshing therewith, the ratchet-wheel .on the shaft of the last-named wheel, the arm carried by said ratchet-wheel, the pawl on the arm, adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, the crank on the main shaft, and a connectingrod secured at one end to the crank and at the other to the arm of the ratchet-wheel; substantially as described. 

